Back on the Chain (plate) Gang…
It’s time for another Hula Girl update. Our Turboed Santa Cruz 50 is in the final stages of a full refit. While they should have gone in first, a trail of issues delayed the installation of the new chainplates. But Gilles and Denis of GC Composites stepped up to the plate and delivered a work of art. The carbon boxes were shaped to fit the hull and perfectly position the load bearing Nitronic pins, then they laid up the boxes in their Richmond shop, and finally returned them to the boat for installation.
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| Denis (the carbon-master) installing the boxes. |
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| Post curing ovens at work. |
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| Chainplate box all done…. and settee top being glassed back in and tabbed to hull (it was cut out to give full access for installing the chainplate boxes). |
Hula Girl is scheduled to roll out of the shed towards the end of the week. Keel on, mast on, go sailing. Should be simple, no? We’ll have the new HG at our docks in Jack London Square during the Strictly Sail Pacific boatshow in April, then she heads south for the Newport to Ensenada Race.
Wanna come play? The next openings are 2014 San Diego to Puerto Vallarta Race (click here to check out a video from the last SD-PV race!) and the 2014 Pacific Cup (San Francisco to Hawaii).
More soon….
Wayne Zittel and the J World Team
Giles Rocks